Part 4
You read earlier - After coming back to India Anil meets Siya in Hyderabad . He asks her to be her girlfriend but she expresses her inability and starts telling about her family . Nor read further ….
Then she started narrating about her family . She belonged to a low middle class family
. She has a younger sister who is finishing her nursing shortly . Her father has mortgaged land and the only small house for their education . After completing her Fashion technology Rita joined a garment company only recently with an average salary . She is sharing an apartment with her friend Rita . She has to get her papa’s loan repaid and help in sister’s education before she can think further about herself. I was impressed by her thoughts and said “ Don’t worry , we can be friends and I can wait for you until your family is comfortable . “
She nodded silently and I gave my cell phone in her hand and asked to add her name in my contacts . She smiled , took out my card from her purse and dialed my number on her own phone . After three rings she hung up saying “ Now you can save my number .”
“ Good , I will do it . What’s your plan today ?”
“ Nothing special . “ she said
“ I am going to make it special . Let us go to a movie in PVR today . I am booking on the phone right now . “
“ Oh no. I should be with Rita in half an hour as per my promise . “
“ Ask Rita also to be ready , I will book for her too . “
“ I have my scooty parked outside . “
“ No problem . Park your scooty in your apartment . I have my car here . I will pick both of you from there . “
Fortunately she agreed and asked Rita to be ready . All three of us went to the 11 am show . After that we had coffee at Starbucks , Jubilee hill . I found Alok was already there . Seeing three of us , he teased me “ So you are enjoying your weekends with both the girls . That’s why you ditched me today . “
We joined Alok and after finishing our coffee , I dropped the girls at their apartment . I said “ So , I shall wait for you in the same hotel tomorrow morning also . “
“ But I will be with her tomorrow , mind it .” Rita interrupted
“ No problem .”
From then onwards I started meeting Siya frequently and specially on weekends without fail . Now sometimes she also preferred to come alone . Almost one year has passed by like this . In the meantime my friend Alok was going to be engaged to his college time girlfriend at his home town in Jamshedpur . Rita’s engagement was scheduled next week . Both Siya and myself were now attracted towards each other and our friendship was getting transformed into love . Both accepted this truth and were ready to enter into marital life at the suitable time . But Siya was hesitating due to financial problems of her family.
One day Siya told me “ Both Alok and Rita are getting engaged , they have invited me . How about you ? “
“ I too am invited and hopefully will attend both functions . But what about our engagement ? I have already sounded out my parents about our love and they have no problem with it . “
“ I haven’t yet disclosed our love to my family except my sister Prachi . It will take another three years before my papa’s loan will be repaid .“
“ But first of all , at least inform them about our intentions and win their confidence . “
In the meantime I have been getting lots of pressure from my parents to marry soon . My parents said if Siya or her parents are not ready then they will finalize my marriage with some other girl and I can’t afford to disagree . They asked me to tell this frankly to Siya . I told this to Siya also but she said she can’t tell her parents all of this, that too all of a sudden. She was going to meet her parents this weekend .I offered to accompany her as this might help .I went with Siya without my parents' knowledge.
But I was shocked to know when Siya’s father started asking questions about my caste , though both were of the same Hindu Religion . He belonged to the so-called higher class caste Brahmin while I came from a lower caste according to him. I tried to convince him that such petty things don't matter in true love . Though Siya’s mother agreed with me , All my efforts to satisfy him failed . I told them looking at Siya `` If we love each other and get legally married in a court then you will be helpless . I wanted to get it done with your blessings also . “
“ No, I can't bless this marriage . If Siya dares, she will no longer be our daughter . I would think I had only one daughter . That is all , you can go ” He shouted loudly
I took Siya to one corner of the room and said “ Do you agree for our court marriage or marriage arranged at my home ? You have to decide right now - yes or no . “
“ Why don’t you understand ? He has taken a huge loan for me and my sister Prachi . I can’t leave him in misery . “
“ I don’t know . I can’t accept anything but yes or no . That too at this very moment .”
After keeping silent for a few minutes she looked at his papa and said to me “ No I can’t marry you without my papa’s agreement .”
“ So that’s all from my end also . “ and I immediately came back to Hyderabad . I felt completely broken and as if I had lost the paradise of my dream . Siya also returned the next day .
I didn’t contact Siya , neither did she for a week . We met at Rita’s engagement on the weekend . Both simply said ‘ hi ‘ . Neither of us talked even while sitting or standing side by side . Rita was closely watching us . She came to us “ What’s this ? Why are both of you silent and not mixing as I used to see earlier? I know what happened at Siya’s house . Even if you are not getting married , why can’t you be good friends? And above all, wait for some time . Things can change or get resolved in your favor , who knows . Come on, be friends and behave normally .”
From then onwards both I and Siya started talking but the old warmth in relation was not there but even then I still loved her . After a few months I was surprised to have a call from Prachi “ Jiju , this is Prachi from Abu Dhabi . “
“ Hi Prachi , how are you ? But you know I can’t be your Jiju . “
“ I am good and I am hopeful you could be my Jiju also . “
“ Why are you so confident ? “
“ I had a talk with Siya in detail . She still loves you and says if not Anil , then she will remain single in life .”
“ You know I also love Siya from the core of my heart . I also share her views but I can’t change my caste or upgrade to a higher caste . So there is little anyone can do . Your papa is stubborn , I am sorry to say . “
“ I know . I had a talk with my mom also . She is also worried about Siya . But what I could derive from talks is that they are currently more concerned about repayment of loan rather than your marriage with Siya Di.Please give us some time to sort it out forever . I might be a surprising element . “ said Prachi
“ What do you mean ? “ I asked
“ Wait and watch . “ She hung up .
I could not figure out what Prachi meant by the surprising element or how things can be in our favor . But I didn’t hear anything new or any surprising news from any corner . Six months had passed . In the meantime Alok also got engaged . I attended his engagement ceremony but Siya couldn’t as it was a working day and she couldn’t get leave .
My company opened a new branch at Pune and posted me there as head of the branch with a handsome package .I informed Siya also about my transfer . She congratulated me saying “ It’s good for your future . I will miss you but please do be in touch . “
“ Sure , “ I said
Contd.( Last part 5 )
